How to Design a Really Cool Teen Girl's Room

Colored hanging lamps can be part of a cool teen girl's room.

When girls transition into the teenage years, having a cool hangout space away from the parents becomes important for fostering friendships and independence. Designing a cool teen girl's room requires collaboration between the parent and teen to select items within the proper budget that reflect the girl's style and personal taste. Although some planning can be done at a theoretical level, parents should expect to spend hours shopping with their teen girl to find the best items to decorate her room.

Instructions

1. Choose a color scheme. Bold, bright colors are popular with teen girls because they bring life and excitement to the room. One good way to choose a color scheme is to select two main colors that will be the focus for the room. Successful pairings include turquoise with magenta, teal with lime green and bright pink with bright orange. An alternate option would be to pick just one main color and decorate the room in hues of this color.

2. Select bedding in the color scheme. Because the bed is usually the largest thing in a teen girl's room, it is important to start there when redesigning the room. A patterned comforter can be the point of interest in a room of mostly solid colors, or a solid comforter can leave eyes to wander to detail on the walls or other parts of the room.

3. Paint the walls. This is an area where the teen girl should be sure to have some input. If the family is not up for repainting the whole room, an option is to paint just a strip of color around the walls, or a few large circles or squares of color around the room.

4. Purchase an area rug. Even if the room is carpeted, an area rug can help tie the color scheme down onto the floor. In addition, it provides a comfortable spot for the teen girl and her friends to sit on the floor.

5. Include comfortable seating. In a small bedroom, this might have to be a couple ottomans or a plush beanbag chair. Large bedrooms can accommodate a love seat or an overstuffed jumbo beanbag with room for two or more.

6. Shop for quirky accessory items that match the feel of the room. These can include wall hangings, mirrors, lamps, vases, end tables and other small furnishings. Having new accessories will complete the transformation of the teen girl's room.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure when adding bold colors to a bedroom that there are some neutral items to keep it from being too busy. Most often, these will be the furnishings of the bedroom, including the bed frame, dresser and desk.

References

• Better Homes and Gardens: Teen Rooms Designed by Teens